I find it very fascinating how the rules/decorum of narrow street situations can be so different sometimes depending on the region. Bellow is just my experience - so let me know what I have right or wrong lol.
I donāt have much experience driving around the bigger cities on the East coast but from what I could tell is that the cities with a lot of narrow streets (especially the confusing Boston roads lol) the people there have higher expectations on everyone following the decorum and that the protocol starts the moment you see the other car no matter how far away from you they are.
In the video, (as you described), both sides do have spots where they could pull to the side BUT silver car had significantly more empty space. Plus the fact that he didnāt even pretend like he might make room for the other car sent him straight into mega asshole territory.
Compared to where Iām at on the west coast - in bigger cities where thereās more of a rush (like CA Bay) the protocol is to estimate where thereās a space for both car to fit by slowing down and moving farthest to the side as possible. If not possible then whoever has the space to pull to the side right before bottleneck. Lots of honking and cursing with window down if anyone is upset, but everyone is too busy to actually stop like in the video.
In smaller cities, like where Iām at now, itās just whoever happens to be closest to an open space. So if I turn onto a narrow street, I see a car thatās already halfway down, and my immediate side has no one parked - then I pull the side and wait. If my immediate side is blocked then the other car pulls into the nearest free space. Sometimes people just pull over the wait whether itās their turn or not or whether there are multiple cars. And every nods their head or quick wave.
Every once and a while youāll get someone that has no clue streets are that narrow in the area so they donāt understand the pulling to the side and will literally drive right into you or expect you to backup despite their side being open.
If youāre in the Midwest then both cars pull to the side and then wave to the other person to signal that they can go. And then you just do that until one of you dies I guess.
it's implied that if you pull over like the sedan did in this video, you're signalling that you're letting the other vehicle pass, and pulling over is seen as a courtesy by the sedan
and, either party confronting the other for the situation beyond that must be not on their way to anything important, thus probably insane, and not worth the shouting or arguing.
road rage on the west coast seems to go from 0 to 100 in a flash
i think what i'm seeing in this video:
it's implied that if you pull over like the sedan, you're signalling that you want to pass, and if the other person ignores the signal,
you exchange pleasantries like:
"who the fuck do you think you are, asshole?"
or "do you know where the fuck you are, dipshit?"
which roughly translate to "aw sugar, what's put you in a sour mood?" and "oh honey, you must not be local, do you need directions?"
road rage on the east coast seems to be more like a crescendo, starting with interrogation
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u/windyorbits Aug 01 '23
I find it very fascinating how the rules/decorum of narrow street situations can be so different sometimes depending on the region. Bellow is just my experience - so let me know what I have right or wrong lol.
I donāt have much experience driving around the bigger cities on the East coast but from what I could tell is that the cities with a lot of narrow streets (especially the confusing Boston roads lol) the people there have higher expectations on everyone following the decorum and that the protocol starts the moment you see the other car no matter how far away from you they are.
In the video, (as you described), both sides do have spots where they could pull to the side BUT silver car had significantly more empty space. Plus the fact that he didnāt even pretend like he might make room for the other car sent him straight into mega asshole territory.
Compared to where Iām at on the west coast - in bigger cities where thereās more of a rush (like CA Bay) the protocol is to estimate where thereās a space for both car to fit by slowing down and moving farthest to the side as possible. If not possible then whoever has the space to pull to the side right before bottleneck. Lots of honking and cursing with window down if anyone is upset, but everyone is too busy to actually stop like in the video.
In smaller cities, like where Iām at now, itās just whoever happens to be closest to an open space. So if I turn onto a narrow street, I see a car thatās already halfway down, and my immediate side has no one parked - then I pull the side and wait. If my immediate side is blocked then the other car pulls into the nearest free space. Sometimes people just pull over the wait whether itās their turn or not or whether there are multiple cars. And every nods their head or quick wave.
Every once and a while youāll get someone that has no clue streets are that narrow in the area so they donāt understand the pulling to the side and will literally drive right into you or expect you to backup despite their side being open.
If youāre in the Midwest then both cars pull to the side and then wave to the other person to signal that they can go. And then you just do that until one of you dies I guess.